Marcos GT early history

[L-G Sjöberg]

I am gradually starting to renovate a 1963 Marcos GT, which I acquired earlier this year, and would appreciate whatever help I can get in tracing its early history and especially if it has any racing history. This is what I know:

- Chassis number 3008
- Exported from the UK to Sweden in 1986
- Last British registration number was 999 THY
- Last British owner was Christopher Bish living in the Birmingham area
- At that time the car was equipped with an 1600 cc Alfa Romeo engine and its rear bodywork was no longer of the original fastback type but rather a "notchback".

With the documents I got with the car were two photocopies of race reports from the Autosport. One from August 30, 1963, had a photo showing a Marcos driven by Peter Brayshaw winning a race at Cadwell Park, but that car clearly carried another registration number than mine, so I really don´t know if that is of any significance. The other report is from the October 2, 1964 issue, and covers the Autosport 3-hours, where there is a picture of Tony Lanfranchi in an Elva-BMW. In the background there is a Marcos with a registration number, which, with a lot of optimism an generous interpretation, could be read as starting with three identical digits, maybe 999? In the results, there is a Peter Creasy (same guy who later raced Chevrons?) in a Marcos-Ford.

[RAP]

According to the programme for the Autosport 3 hours, there was only one Marcos entered-
# 43 P Creasey 1098cc Blue
Looking at the photo in Autosport the race number certainly could be 43.

[L-G Sjöberg]

Thanks for the reference to the Autosport programme. The main question of course remains unanswered. Is that the same car as the one I own? The only clue I have is that the registration number in the photo m i g h t be read as 999 THY.

[zefarelly]

the MArcos GT came with MGB, Volvo and Ford Engines

the Volvo engined variant was retro homologated in the mid 90's, neither of the other where or have been. a shame becasue I want a pre66 marcos GT with a 1500 Ford precrossflow to race one day

looks like I'll have to find something else . . .

[klaus]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

the MArcos GT came with MGB, Volvo and Ford Engines

the Volvo engined variant was retro homologated in the mid 90's, neither of the other where or have been. a shame becasue I want a pre66 marcos GT with a 1500 Ford precrossflow to race one day

looks like I'll have to find something else . . .

We are speaking of a Marcos Fastback GT (1963) , which is a completly different car from the 1800 GT(1965), which unfortunately was never international homologated in its period. The Marcos Fastback instead was FIA homologated in 1963 ( as well as the Gullwing and the Costin Ugly Duckling, Fia Homolgation No.33 and 33b) and competed in the European championship up to 1000cc, ( 3rd place behind Abarth and Renault Alpine at the end of the season).

[L-G Sjöberg]

Originally Posted by klaus

We are speaking of a Marcos Fastback GT (1963) , which is a completly different car from the 1800 GT(1965), which unfortunately was never international homologated in its period. The Marcos Fastback instead was FIA homologated in 1963 ( as well as the Gullwing and the Costin Ugly Duckling, Fia Homolgation No.33 and 33b) and competed in the European championship up to 1000cc, ( 3rd place behind Abarth and Renault Alpine at the end of the season).

Klaus,

I am not sure I understand your comment about the homologation of the 1800 GT. Clearly it must have been homologated back in 1965? How come that we otherwise have the fast Volvo-engined light-weights making life tough for the Lotus Elans in historical GT racing?

[klaus]

Originally Posted by L-G Sjöberg

Klaus,

I am not sure I understand your comment about the homologation of the 1800 GT. Clearly it must have been homologated back in 1965? How come that we otherwise have the fast Volvo-engined light-weights making life tough for the Lotus Elans in historical GT racing?

the Volvo engined, well known 1800 marcos, was only homologated in the early nineties ( must be around 1993 ) for historic race events, but it was not internationally homologated in the sixties. i remember a long struggle of marcos owners in england, to get it re-homologated around 1990, but FIA refused and banned all 1800 GT from international appendix k events , because of the missing homologation in its period up to 1965.
i think, someone of the 1800 competitors than had the proof, that any 1800GT had participated in an international event till 1965 ( or was in the enty-list of such an event), so surprisingly the 1800 got its historical homologation.......
So it is fact, that the only correctly homologated Marcos are the Costin Ugly Duckling, the Adams Gullwing and Fastback GT(appendix k up to 1965), the Mini Marcos and the XP. These are, by the way, also the only Marcos racers, which competed outside England , mainly at the Nürburgring 1000km and 500km races, the Mini Marcos and Adams gullwing also at LeMans in 1962, 1966, 1967.
The mostly international raced car up to 1965 was undoubtedly the Marcos Fastback ,unfortunately today a bit forgotten and in historical race-events a real rare Marcos car.

[jamesl]

I think the mini marcos at Le Mans finished 13th and last, and was refered to by the comentator as the "little flea".
Also strange how history is being re written with the Marcos/Volvo's beating the Elans in modern historic racing, when they couldnt hold a light to them in period.

[klaus]

Originally Posted by jamesl

I
Also strange how history is being re written with the Marcos/Volvo's beating the Elans in modern historic racing, when they couldnt hold a light to them in period.

in many cases historic racing is far away from history: i do not know a "historic" race-Elan, obviously 90% or more of them are completly new cars , except the chassis-number plate. (you can simply identify it when the bonnets are removed and showing their glassfibre-work in the engine-bay).
what about the TVR griffith as well as the porsche 911, which could not win a simple flower pot in its period up to 1965, and and....and.... very strange something today.